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Onions.

Yesterday was amazing. Around 4pm, Kat (my incredibly amazing and talented Associate Producer) emailed me a heads up that she just posted the video up to reddit.com. Reddit is a popular website where people can vote on user-submitted links. The more votes and comments, the more you move up on the site. It’s sometimes called the “front page of the internet,” and many many videos that go viral get their start there.

Well. That’s pretty much what happened.

I was sitting in a meeting, and casually check the view count on the documentary. It was up 2,000 views from the day before. I refreshed the page again, another 1,000 views in what seems like a second. When I left work around 7:00, we had about 6,000 views total. When I got home at 7:45, we were up to 14,000. And that was just the start. (This morning I checked the view count and we were close to 250,000!!!)

As the views rolled in, so did the comments on the reddit thread. So many people wrote beautiful statements of love and support. It seems like many people have an Avi in their life, and this video encouraged them to give that person a little extra love the next time they see them. A lot of the commenters also touched on the things that make Avi so special – his love and dedication to Levittown, his incredible work ethic, and his warm and giving personality. The reddit community also stepped up to give back to Avi in a very tangible way – our fundly page has far surpassed our goal.

Redditors have a number of inside jokes that the frequent commenters use. One is talking about chopping onions when something makes them a little misty eyed. Needless to say, there were a lot of comments about onions. And as I read through the chain, it was like I had a huge stack of onions to chop too.

The entire “Cash Mob” team is just blown away by this outpouring of love and support from around the world. We are truly humbled by everyone’s generosity and kind words. We will update you soon with Avi’s reaction to all of this. But until then, I wanted to share some of my favorite comments from the reddit thread.

Thank you to everyone who is sharing Avi’s story with the world.

– Liz

[–]robspeaks
There’s a man who knew what he wanted out of life and got it. We tend to make things too complicated these days. Our idea of what life is supposed to be like isn’t what it used to be. We forget that our ancestors were mostly like Avi… people just looking for a place to call their own where they could live in peace. Most American kids today would recoil at the idea of working 12-hour days in a convenience store for a week, let alone the rest of their lives. Yet most of them will never be nearly as happy or fulfilled as this guy.
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big. There’s nothing wrong with being rich or wanting to be rich. But you can’t forget that all the money, nice shit, and “status” in the world won’t make you happy. It won’t.
Great vid.

[–]TheComedicLife
I dream of this someday. To be so content and happy with my job that working 12 hours doesn’t seem like a chore, but rather something to look forward to every day. You can really see the love he has for his job, to the point at which even when tragedy strikes, he feels the only thing he can do is to keep going to work to keep on moving forward in life with the support of his customers.

[–]njnjnynyguy
I am Indian and I know countless business owners like this. They all work so hard spend little time with family to make money and on top of that spread the love.
Just a reminder that the person behind the mask and desk has a story to tell and not get mad at them or make fun for a silly reason.
Jai Ho!

[–]Snycs
This video left me smiling throughout. I really hope Avi is able to get that lease and keep the shop running.

[–]big_cheddars
Reddit this is something more than something you post a ‘muh feelz’ picture to. This is pure humanity, free of malice and ill will. It’s a rare thing, because the world can be a very bad place. But when things like this happen, it makes absolutely everything else so much more bearable. These people did something beautiful, and thanks to this site I got to see it. So thank you reddit, for letting me have this experience.

[–]kashmachine
Oh man this video touched a nerve. My family had been running a similar small shop for 27 years in the local community that sadly had to close this year due to a bigger chain buying us out and other legal issues. On the last day, the turnout of those who came and dropped cards and presents was phenomenal and it resulted in an extremely emotional last day. I just wanted to say to everyone here that you should try shop in smaller shops a little more. Sure their prices may be a tiny bit more expensive, but at the end of the day, it goes a long way and this video shows that perfectly.

[–]KrispyWaffle
Something about this video has instantly changed my perspective on things. I hope one day I can touch that many peoples lives and be that important to them. I wish Avi all the luck in the world and I hope his lease gets lowered a little next year!

[–]Sickfire22
This was the best thing I’ve seen in a while. You can just sense how genuine he is, and how much he shares his love and kindness on a daily basis. I teared up a bit and I don’t even know him, the impact he’s had on his local community is extremely profound

[–]WienerCircle
People like Avi are what we need to think about when we spend our money at big box stores and on Amazon. By saving small amounts of money, we are killing everything that makes America great. We should stop worrying so much about how much we save on small items and on free shipping. Go out and shop local.

[–]GalacticUndead
I have a corner market owner named Louie. He’s owned his shop for 30 years in my neighbourhood, working 12-14 hours a day. He’s always there for small talk, sellin’ me my smokes, beers, snacks. We have running jokes about messing with my landlord (who also owns many buildings on the block), and he’s an indispensable aspect in the 3 years I’ve lived in my neighbourhood. This video makes me want to go into my corner market and give Louie a hug.

[–]Pyrom4n
THIS is the America I want to see.

[–]Stevesu_
Wow. That was awesome! Just when you start getting so jaded with the pain and anger in society, something like this comes along to remind you of the peace and beauty. Thank you for sharing. And thank you Avi.

[–]250TestaRossa
The ability for a town to rally in support of someone in need is truly amazing. Rather than spending their money on something else, they decided to spend it on helping one man continue his dream

[–]hisnamewasyero
I live in the town next to this one and I must admit that this man is a very good soul. I had no idea that he was loved by so many people in our community but I knew there was something special about this man. The first day i stepped in that store as I was just passing through the town and needed a drink. It was a very hot day and I needed to keep hydrated. When I went to give him my credit card for some reason it was declined and so when I had him swipe it again. It was declined for the second time. I grabbed the drink and went to put it back and Avi told me that this one was on him. Iv never walked into a store for the first time and received this kind love. yes it was only a drink, but the simple fact that he was willing to help me out and he didn’t even know me meant the world to me. The next day I went back to his store with 20 dollars and put it on the counter and said thank you for being such a nice person and proceeded to tell him how I wish there was more people in this world like him. Its really nice to see the community come together to help this man out. I live by the motto, Spread Love Show Love and this man demonstrates that to the fullest! Thanks Avi~!

coopertrooper1
I’m next to my house outside because the WiFi doesn’t reach the garage and I’m standing here just bawling and laughing and crying …I’m a grown ass man… My neighbor just asked me if everything was ok. And the only thing I could say was “beautiful”….. I think he might think I’m crazy

LateToSexPartyAgain
I live in Levittown – moved here from Manhattan about 4 years ago when we had a baby. The town is by and large a working class bedroom community close to NYC, so it took one hell of a beating during the Great Recession. A lot of people are hurting and you can feel it. At first glance, the dynamic of that situation is not always pretty and the town’s image suffers for it. But now that I’m deep in it, I’m proud to say this video is the most accurate document of the people here I’ve ever come across. I see kindness like this many times each week (not on this scale of course, but it’s kindness of the same magnitude nonetheless). I also see some nastiness on occasion, but that’s just a normal part of life I suppose. But the amount of everyday kindness here is absolutely not normal. It’s also absolutely beautiful.